Senegal

When it comes to the green economy, Senegal is a land of remarkable opportunity. Recent research has found that green investment could create 30,000 new jobs and lift half a million people out of poverty by 2035. That’s not all: embracing sustainable and inclusive development would also halt the degradation of Senegal’s rich natural resources, while shrinking carbon emissions by a tenth. The country is already a Sub-Saharan leader on renewables, targeting a 20% share for clean energy by 2018, and is building solar projects second only to South Africa’s in scale.

A partnership for positivity

But to make this green future a reality, Senegal must first overcome some real challenges in the present. Entrenched poverty, inequality, and environmental deterioration are common to many Sub-Saharan nations, and sadly Senegal is no exception.

Luckily, green development policies have great potential for overcoming these roadblocks, and our partners in the region are helping translate Senegal’s green opportunities into concrete action. Our in-country hub is run by IED Afrique and IUCN Senegal, two organisations with extensive experience of building community resilience and social accountability. Together we’re driving the green transition by:

• Mapping how green technologies and practices are already spreading in Senegal, and exploring how to accelerate their uptake
• Working together with government and business to understand existing green policy strengths and weaknesses, and identify opportunities for improvement
• Learning what works – and sharing those lessons with those at the frontiers of the green transition